Andreas Vesalius (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Natasha Smith
How significant was Andreas Vesalius to the development of medicine in the Renaissance? - Summary
Andreas Vesalius was significant to the development of medicine during the Renaissance because he challenged the traditional medical ideas of Galen, which had been accepted for over 1,000 years. Vesalius conducted detailed dissections of human bodies and discovered that Galen, who had based his work on animal dissections, had made many mistakes. He published his findings in a famous book called On the Fabric of the Human Body, which included detailed and accurate illustrations of the human anatomy. This book inspired other physicians to question old ideas and perform their own dissections to learn more about the human body.
However, while Vesalius revolutionised the study of anatomy, his work did not directly lead to treatments. Renaissance physicians still had very limited knowledge about how to treat diseases. Vesalius's discoveries were mainly about how the body was structured rather than how illnesses could be cured.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Multiple scientists contributed to medical progress throughout the course that you will need to know for your exam. Students often find this overwhelming, especially when they are taught about more key people than necessary.
Our notes only focus on the individuals mentioned in the AQA GCSE History Health and the People specification. This is because these are the only individuals that you could be asked to write a significance or comparison question about.
If you feel confident about these people, feel free to expand your knowledge to other key medical thinkers.
Who was Andreas Vesalius?
Andreas Vesalius was a famous anatomist who trained in Paris in 1533
Vesalius lectured in Padua, Italy
This had become a centre for medical knowledge in Medieval times
Islamic medical theories had spread throughout Italy
Padua established a university based on these ideas
What did Vesalius discover?
Vesalius wrote On the Fabric of the Human Body (1543) which noted over 300 mistakes Galen made on the human anatomy including:
the lower jaw is in one part, not two
veins in the heart did not lead to the liver
men and women have the same number of ribs
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you how useful the source above is for the progress in the study of anatomy in the Renaissance.
A common mistake with this question is focusing on reliability rather than utility. All sources are useful for a historian but not all sources are reliable. Therefore, make sure you only focus on what is useful about the source.
Our exam skills pages provide more help and guidance on the 'How useful' question
Significance of Vesalius
Vesalius encouraged physicians to focus on dissection rather than believing old theories
Some of these physicians later went on to correct Vesalius’ mistakes
He popularised the study of anatomy and encouraged physicians rather than a surgeon to perform dissections
He shared his work with his students at Padua, inspiring future anatomists like William Harvey
He created anger among traditional physicians who believed in Galen’s work
They argued that the human anatomy must have changed from the Roman times
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Andreas Vesalius could appear in a significance question or a comparison question. This information will help you with how to approach these types of questions.
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